Sourcing or building cable assemblies for high-reliability applications isn't always a straight forward process. They are often custom parts, highly optimised to deliver the right trade-off between size, connection density and mass, but typically produced at relatively low volumes. 

This presents a decision for many designers: do you opt to build your own or buy from a trusted supplier?

In a new post on Engineers' Insight, Marco Enge discusses the challenges that high reliability applications present for cable assemblies, and how to decide between building in-house or outsourcing.